Mates Mokotjo and Timm set for fiery midfield battle in Cup final

Former teammates Kamohelo Mokotjo and Miguel Timm expect a fiery and exciting midfield battle when their respective clubs, Sekhukhune United and Orlando Pirates, face off in the Nedbank Cup final on Saturday (6pm).

Mokotjo and Timm, who are expected to be key players in the clash at Loftus Stadium, played alongside each other for years in SuperSport United’s academy.

Other players who were part of that SuperSport youth team are Kermit Erasmus, who will also represent Pirates in the final, Mamelodi Sundowns’ Ronwen Williams, and Thato Mokeke of Cape Town City.   

“It’s good to share the pitch with them [Timm and Erasmus] again,” former FC Twente, Brentford and Bafana Bafana star Mokotjo said.

“We have the same philosophy and a lot of things [in common]. It’s good to see them doing well.

“It’s going to be a vital midfield battle [with Timm]. We are going to enjoy the occasion.

“We have reached our goals [of playing pro football] but there’s still this opportunity to grab [the trophy],” Mokotjo said.

Timm believes he and Mokotjo share a similar understanding of the game as they were trained and groomed together in a common environment at SuperSport.  

“I was in that academy with ‘Kamo’. I spent about six or seven years with him,” Timm said.

“Our understanding of the game is probably similar because of the school we went to.

“I look forward to the battle. We have been in communication because he is one of my friends. It’s going to be exciting to play against him.”

Sekhukhune will wear the underdog tag in the final, but Mokotjo said they are not concerned about that.

The plan for United is to enjoy the final as they have met most of their targets for the season, including finishing in the top eight in the league and qualifying for the Caf Confederation Cup next season as Nedbank finalists. Pirates ended second in the Premiership and so reached the Caf Champions League, meaning third-placed SuperSport United are the other SA team in the Confed. 

“I think the underdog tag works for anyone in any environment. We need to stick to our principles, enjoy the occasion and hopefully get the best out of it,” Mokotjo said.

“We played Pirates a few weeks ago and they know what we are about. We are a resilient side and tough to score against, but this time we are going to enjoy the occasion. We have qualified for the top eight and made it into Africa.”

Pirates have not been able to beat Sekhukhune this season as Babina Noko beat them 2-0 early in the Premiership campaign and the teams drew 2-2 in the second-round league encounter at Orlando Stadium earlier this month.